How do you put a price on a piece of art? For some, the assembly of paint on canvas means little to nothing. 'My kid could paint that' one might say while he strokes his chin in front of a Jackson Pollock.
Where did this art economy come from? Is this piece worth more than that piece? These are important rhetorical questions, but the only answer available is that every person sees art differently. We can all learn from studying eBay that one man's trash is another man's treasure.
Today, a painting by the likes of Cezanne, Matisse or Van Gogh can be valued at tens of millions of dollars by avid appraisers. Put that same painting in someone's garage with no signature on it and it might end up in a garage sale.
Our society places great emphasis on the masters of yesteryear because they broke the grounds and created movements, essentially changing the art world forever. Surely that is worth something.
The Barnes Foundation
Last night I was fortunate enough to see Orange County's only showing of 'The Art of the Steal', a documentary that focuses on the priceless Barnes Foundation collection that was essentially stolen by means of legal manipulation from the hands of it's trustees.
The key player in the story is the late Albert Barnes, the original founder of the foundation, who made every effort before his death to write specific terms into his will that stated his collection remain housed in a building in a Pennsylvania suburb, always to be designated an educational institution - it's works never to moved or sold.
The film details the history of Barnes, the foundation, and the players who managed to wrangle the collection who'll ultimately benefit from moving it to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Do corporate interests and art mix?
The corporate interests of the art world have commoditized an industry that so many have different opinions about. In economics it's relatively easy to determine a value of something, for instance - onions. I merely have to get a general idea of supply and demand, take a poll or survey and I can get a pretty good idea how much onions are worth and what they can be used for.
Art, however, is an entirely different beast. No two opinions are alike on the meaning of art, therefore how can anyone decide what art is worth? Leave it to the experts, you might think - well, that's basically what much of society has done and it's created a culture of haves and have nots.
I have never taken art as seriously as some people that I know. My background in design has given me an important understanding of art, but I often see it in practical terms.
I enjoy a piece for what it represents as far as the cultural trends and movements of the period in which it was produced. 'The Art of the Steal' zeroes in on the reason that I feel this way. When particular pieces are valued in the multi-million dollar range we cannot be surprised that they will be treated like any other commodity.
The day when important pieces by Picasso and the like become truly priceless, that will be the day that people will cringe at the thought of putting a price tag on them.
